Both adults and children can have chronic, or constant, headaches. Having constant headaches can be debilitating and can interfere with your day-to-day activities.
The term chronic daily headache is rather broad and includes several different types of headaches that can occur on a daily basis:. Read on to learn more about constant headaches, what may cause them, and how you can manage them. Some possible causes include:.
Often, headaches are triggered by lifestyle or environmental factors such as stress, changes in weather, caffeine use, or lack of sleep. Overuse of pain medication can also cause a constant headache. This is called a medication overuse headache or a rebound headache.
There are many possible treatments for constant headaches, and your doctor will work with you to determine which treatment will be optimal for you. Your treatment will depend on the underlying cause of your headache. If your doctor cannot determine an underlying cause, they will prescribe treatment that focuses on effectively preventing your headache pain.
Other therapies may be used as well, possibly in combination with medications. Non-medication therapies include:. Your doctor may suggest making some lifestyle changes in order to help manage your headaches or avoid your headache triggers. These can include things like making sure that you get enough sleep and avoiding using caffeine or smoking cigarettes.
You can visit your primary doctor to discuss your constant headaches. Your doctor may also refer you to a neurologist, which is a type of doctor that specializes in conditions that affect the nervous system.
To reach a diagnosis, your doctor will first take your medical history. They may ask questions like:. Your doctor with then perform a physical examination. During their examination, your doctor will work to rule out any possible secondary causes of headache, which can include:. Migraines often begin in the evening or during sleep. In some people, the attacks are preceded by several hours of fatigue, depression , and sluggishness or by irritability and restlessness. Because migraine symptoms vary widely, at least half of all migraine sufferers think they have sinus or tension headaches, not migraines.
Visual complaints are most common. They may include halos, sparkles or flashing lights, wavy lines, and even temporary loss of vision. The aura may also produce numbness or tingling on one side of the body, especially the face or hand. Some patients develop aura symptoms without getting headaches; they often think they are having a stroke, not a migraine.
The majority of migraines develop without an aura. In typical cases, the pain is on one side of the head, often beginning around the eye and temple before spreading to the back of the head. The pain is frequently severe and is described as throbbing or pulsating. Nausea is common, and many migraine patients have a watering eye, a running nose, or congestion. If these symptoms are prominent, they may lead to a misdiagnosis of sinus headaches.
P is for pulsating pain O for one-day duration of severe untreated attacks U for unilateral one-sided pain N for nausea and vomiting D for disabling intensity. Without effective treatment, migraine attacks usually last for four to 24 hours. When you're suffering a migraine, even four hours is far too long — and that's why early treatment for a migraine is so important.
Migraine treatment. If you spot a migraine in its very earliest stages, you may be able to control it with nonprescription pain relievers. Acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and a combination of pain medications and caffeine are all effective — if you take a full dose very early in the attack. When prescription drugs are needed, most doctors turn to the triptans, which are available as tablets, nasal sprays, or as injections that patients can learn to give to themselves.
Examples include sumatriptan Imitrex , zolmitriptan Zomig , and rizatriptan Maxalt. Some patients require a second dose within 12 to 24 hours. Patients with cardiovascular disease and those who take a high dose of certain antidepressants need to discuss the risks of using them with their doctor. Work with your doctor to find the migraine treatment that works best for you.
Remember, though, that overuse can lead to rebound headaches and a vicious cycle of drugs and headaches. So, if you need treatment more than two or three times a week, consider preventive medications.
Migraine prevention. Some people can prevent migraines simply by avoiding triggers. Others do well with prompt therapy for occasional attacks. But patients who suffer frequent migraine attacks often benefit from preventive medications.
Effective prescription drugs include beta blockers such as propranolol, nadolol and atenolol , certain antidepressants such as amitriptyline , and certain antiseizure medications such topiramate and valproate.
Difficult cases may benefit from referral to a headache specialist. Cluster headaches are uncommon but very severe headaches, and they occur five times more often in men than women. Although anyone can get cluster headaches, the typical patient is a middle-aged man with a history of smoking.
The problem gets its name because the headaches tend to come in clusters, with one to eight headaches a day during a one- to three-month period every year or two, often at the same time of year. The pain always strikes one side of the head and is very severe.
The eye on the painful side is red and watery, the eyelid may droop, and the nose runs or is blocked. The attack starts abruptly and lasts for 30 to 60 minutes. Most sufferers become restless and agitated during the attack; unable to sit still, they pace, jog in place, or beat their head against a wall.
Nausea and sensitivity to light and sound may accompany the pain. Inhaling high flow oxygen soon after the onset of the headache can often stop the attack. Sumatriptan is often effective for cluster headaches, particularly when given by injection. Other triptans may also help. Some patients favor lidocaine nose drops, dihydroergotamine injections, or other treatments.
The most effective medication for preventing cluster headache attacks is verapamil, a calcium-channel blocker. Other drugs that may help include divalproex, topiramate, and lithium.
Medication headaches. Many drugs number headaches among their side effects. And although it seems paradoxical, many medications used to treat headaches can also cause medication overuse headaches or rebound headaches.
Migraine sufferers are particularly vulnerable to a vicious cycle of pain leading to more medication, which triggers more pain. If you have frequent headaches and use medication, OTC or prescription, or both, for more than 10 to 15 days a month, you may have medication overuse headaches.
Chronic refers to how often the headaches occur and how long the condition lasts. The constant nature of chronic daily headaches makes them one of the most disabling headache conditions.
Aggressive initial treatment and steady, long-term management might reduce pain and lead to fewer headaches. By definition, chronic daily headaches occur 15 days or more a month, for longer than three months. True primary chronic daily headaches aren't caused by another condition.
There are short-lasting and long-lasting chronic daily headaches. Long-lasting headaches last more than four hours.
They include:. This type typically occurs in people with a history of episodic migraines. Chronic migraines tend to:. These headaches come on suddenly, usually in people without a headache history. They become constant within three days of your first headache. Occasional headaches are common, and usually require no medical attention.
However, consult your doctor if:. The causes of many chronic daily headaches aren't well-understood.
0コメント